Spokane Treatment Centers

Spokane, Washington, is home to around 195,629 people. It is found in Spokane County, and is located in the east of the state, some 229 miles from Seattle and 222 miles from Bellevue. During the 1990s, the population of Spokane grew by around 10%, but this has stagnated now, with a growth rate of less than 1% per year. Unfortunately, the city has a significant substance abuse problem. This is reflected in the fact that both property and violent crime levels are higher in Spokane than in the rest of the state, which is something that correlates to drug and alcohol abuse. To address this, the city authorities have put a number of different measures in place.

Statistics on Substance Abuse in Spokane, WA

In order to be able to measure the effectiveness of the various programs the city has put in place, they first needed to create a picture of the current situation. What they found was that:

• 21.9% of the population aged over 12 is a current smoker, higher than for the west of the state (20.3%), but lower than the south (24.5%) and the Midwest (25.7%).
• 2.1% of the population aged over 12 currently uses smokeless tobacco. This is lower than the west (2.8%), the Midwest (4%), and the south (4.1%) of the state.
• 1% of all young people aged between 12 and 17 currently use hallucinogenic drugs.
• 30.9% of all adults with a mental health disorder also admitted to binge drinking in the past month.
• 47.6% of all adults with a mental health disorder also use tobacco.

The Spokane Approach

Spokane officials have put a number of different measures in place to combat the city’s drug and alcohol problem. These include:

1. Partnerships with nonprofit organizations, health officials, law enforcement, educators, and the community in order to develop preventative measures to stop young people from accessing substances in the first place, steering them towards healthy alternatives instead.
2. Increased powers for law enforcement authorities to target manufacturers, distributors, and traffickers of illegal substances, as well as those who sell alcohol to underage drinkers.
3. Increased training for first responders to be able to deliver an intervention should they come across someone who has a dependency or addiction, encouraging them to seek treatment in a detox and rehab facility.
4. The Spokane County Therapeutic Drug Court, where those who have been arrested on a nonviolent charge, and who have a substance abuse problem, are given the opportunity to complete treatment in a detox and rehab facility instead of going to prison.
5. Increased awareness of and signposting to the available inpatient and outpatient treatment facilities.
6. Increased funds for aftercare facilities to avoid relapse for people with an addiction.
7. Encouraging private treatment facilities to accept payment plans for those who cannot afford their help.

It is hoped that, through the above seven measures, those who need help will be able to receive it, while at the same time lowering the number of people who eventually need help.